Verona's Prout and Cedar Grove's Shook's funeral homes remain an intergral part of community

Dealing with death can be a painful experience, and one of the most difficult anyone can go through if it involves a loved one. Though such occurrences are usually rare for most people, it is something funeral home employees deal with everyday.

Cedar Grove and Verona's only funeral homes - Shook's and Prout, respectively -combine for well over 100 years of service for the two townships. Employees at the homes have dealt with countless families in the region.

Established in 1924 and kept in the family ever since, Prout stands as the oldest operation in Verona following the closures of Annin Flag and Bahr Lumber. As one of the ambassadors of the municipality, the Prout family makes itself readily available to the community by always being available to answer the phone, regardless of the hour of the day.

"It's a type of business that's kind of 24/7," said Robert Prout, the funeral director for the Bloomfield Avenue operation. "You never know when you'll be called to help a family."

Formerly known as Cedar Grove Memorial at its inception in 1950, Shook's took its current name in 1989. Joseph Shook Jr., the home's owner and director, said he grew up in the business after his father ran the home before him, and it's all he knows.

While the majority of people only see what goes on at a funeral home after the passing of a loved one, Prout and Shook's fulfill a vital service to the townships despite new trends and some difficult situations.

A personal touch

Existing in small towns can make staying objective difficult for the affiliates of the funeral homes. After living in town for so long, Prout said he often knows the families personally, but he needed to learn to separate himself from it so he can assist the family in grief and not become "tied up emotionally."

A more open view of dealing with death helped inspire the logo that welcomes people in to Prout. A stylized lotus with yellow leaves over a blue backdrop stands outside and oversees Bloomfield Avenue. Prout said a lotus represents eternal life in some cultures, as it "opens every morning, closes every night" and then reopens the next day.

Joe Wood, one of Shook's directors, said he stays proactive in attending seminars that teach him about new aspects of dealing with those in mourning.

"You never know what the family dynamics are going to be or what the people are going through," Wood said.

"We sort of come in at the end, but the whole family has taken a journey. We have to be ready for anything."

For 40 years, Barbara Bevilacqua styled the hair of the deceased prior to a viewing for Prout.

While it is something she never got entirely used to, Bevilacqua said it can uplift the spirits of the relatives to see their loved one looking as they remember them, particularly if they had been sick for an extended period of time before passing.

"When they feel good, I've done my job," she added.

Shook said it's a great feeling to receive thank you letters from families they "helped through a difficult time."

The family aspect of funeral homes helps people feel comfortable when approaching their situation, Prout Office Manager Carole Romanyshyn said. She attributes much of that warmth to her employer.

"They treat everyone as if they were family," she said of the Prouts.

"They're very compassionate, very kind and have a wonderful, helping manner with people. I'm very proud to work for them."